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2008 election resultsFour seats on the ACES Executive Committee were up for election this year. The board received four nominations by the deadline and voted unanimously at the January meeting to elect the four candidates by acclamation, forgoing a paper ballot election. The four seats will be held by two returning incumbents, Gerri Berendzen and Sue Blair, and two new board members, Peter Parisi and Jim Thomsen. Their terms begin in May. Candidates could nominate themselves or be nominated by another member of ACES. Candidates provided information about their jobs and the nominators described how the candidates have contributed to ACES, why they are the best person for the position, and what they envision for the future of ACES. Here are their responses: Gerri BerendzenCopy desk chief at the Quincy (Ill.) Herald-Whig
"I am dedicated to promoting the position of copy editors who work for small- and mid-sized publications and have served as a board voice for those editors. I have 25 years of experience as a copy editor and have been a leader in the Web transition in my newsroom. "My goals are to continue efforts to make ACES a better value for editors who have to pay their own way, and to make ACES a stronger advocate for the profession in a time of industry upheaval. While ACES was formed with that type of advocacy in mind, the state of the industry requires we be a louder and more forceful voice. ACES must continue to focus on concerns beyond the traditional rim and slot." Sue BlairRetired copy chief of Time magazine
"Experience as a copy editor and copy-desk manager gives Sue perspective on the concerns of people in both jobs and the ability to work collegially with them. Having someone with a non-newspaper background on the Executive Committee increases the credibility of ACES as it seeks to expand its membership base. "Sue hopes ACES will be able to hire an executive director. A professional in that position will know how to each out more widely for increased membership and financial support, both of which are important to the organization's continuing vitality and viability. Having an executive director will free the Executive Committee to address the media industry more directly about the issues and changes that continue to threaten not only our profession but also the news business itself." Peter J. Parisi Jr.Night slot at the Washington Times
"My enthusiasm for ACES and its mission, as demonstrated by my self-financed attendance at annual conventions, of which Denver will be my ninth [makes me the best candidate for the position]. "I'd like to see greater membership-recruitment efforts so ACES can grow, especially among midsize and smaller newspapers (weeklies as well as dailies), where copy-editing is sometimes considered an afterthought or a luxury. ACES also might want to consider having a future convention in a midsize city, where hotel and other costs might be lower, thereby enabling more copy editors otherwise unable to afford to attend to do so." Jim ThomsenLocal news copy editor at the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, Wash.
"Jim has been a professional journalist for more than 14 years, and a copy editor for nearly half his career. He feels extremely fortunate to have a rare "pure" copy editor job at a small daily newspaper, and he wants to network with others who feel the same—and to work for the greater good of us all. "Jim would like to launch a Pacific Northwest chapter for ACES. That goes hand-in-hand with his ambition to bring new members to ACES. He'd also like to continue his self-imposed role as a catalyst for conversation on the discussion board and associated platforms like Facebook. He thinks that can help attract new people and help more established members feel more engaged. Jim also would bring that same kind of enthusiasm to the ACES newsletter." |
BOARD RESULTS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
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"I have been an ACES member since 2001 and have served on the Executive Committee since 2006. I led small-staff panels at four national conferences and was an original steering committee member for ACES Midwest. I have written for the ACES Web site and work on the ACES newsletter. 
"Sue has recruited members from magazine publishing and tried to widen the range of topics addressed in conference seminars to be useful to editors in all media. She has been active on the Executive Committee for three terms and is now working to identify funding sources for the hiring of an executive director. 
"I've attended every ACES annual convention since 2000 in Baltimore at my own expense, bringing back handouts to share. Have written several articles for the ACES newsletter. Have donated merchandise to the silent-auction fundraiser three years running and have helped staff sales and information tables at the conventions. 
"Jim has been an enthusiastic supporter of ACES since attending his first conference in Cleveland. He was a presenter at the Miami conference and has volunteered his services for Denver. He is best-known as the top contributor to the discussion board, with often provocative postings intended to spur further conversation.